Study Guide: Protists and Plant-Like Protists

These flashcards cover vocabulary related to the study of protists and plant-like protists, highlighting key terms and definitions from the lecture notes.

Eukarya

Domain of all eukaryotic organisms classified into four major supergroups.

Protists

A diverse group of eukaryotes that are structurally and functionally complex, mostly unicellular.

SAR Clade

A diverse group of protists defined by DNA similarities, consisting of Stramenopiles, Alveolates, and Rhizarians.

Diatoms

Unicellular algae with a glass-like wall made of silicon dioxide, important in aquatic ecosystems.

Diatomaceous Earth

Fossilized diatom walls that form a sediment used in various industrial applications.

Brown Algae

Multicellular algae characterized by large structures such as holdfasts, stipes, and blades.

Alternation of Generations

A life cycle pattern involving alternation between multicellular haploid and diploid forms.

Heteromorphic Generations

Generations in a life cycle that are structurally different from one another.

Isomorphic Generations

Generations in a life cycle that have a similar structure.

Golden Algae

Algae characterized by their yellow and brown carotenoids, mostly unicellular.

Dinoflagellates

Protists that can cause red tides and produce toxins harmful to marine life.

Red Algae

Multicellular algae known for their reddish color due to phycoerythrin, important economically.

Chlamydomonas

A model unicellular green alga that develops gametes under environmental stress.

Volvox

A colonial freshwater green alga composed of many cells.

Acetabularia jalakanyakae

A single-celled green alga known as 'Algal Goliath' due to its large size.

Phycoerythrin

A pigment found in red algae that gives them their reddish color.

Nori (Porphyra)

A type of red algae used in sushi, valuable for its mineral content.

Turgor Pressure

The pressure exerted by water inside the central vacuole of plant cells, maintaining structure.

Plant-like Protists

Protists that exhibit characteristics similar to plants, such as photosynthesis.

Holdfast

A structure used by brown algae to anchor to substrates.

Stipe

The stem-like structure that supports the blade of brown algae.

Blade

The leaf-like structure of brown algae involved in photosynthesis.

Ecological Role

The function or contribution of a species to its environment or ecosystem.

Life Cycle

The sequence of stages in the reproduction of a protist, including both haploid and diploid forms.